Tire-tightener



A.KNOX.

TIRE TIGHTENER.

Patented. July 30, 1889-.

Witnesses: TYlN/Efkltlill Aw clrsmKi mx N. PETERS, Pnowunw n mr.Washington. D. C.

NITED ANDREWV KNOX, OF PEWAMO, MICHIGAN.

'TIRE-TIGHTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 407,828, datedJuly 30,1889.

Application filed May 22, 1889. Serial No. 311,892- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANDREW KNOX, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pewamo, in the county of Ionia and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Tire-Tighteners, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings.

- This invention relates to new and useful improvements in wagon andcarriage tire tightening machines secured upon the spoke, by which wagonand carriage tires are tightened by forcing the felly outward andputting an iron, rubber, or leather washer open at the side on theshoulder of the spoke; and the invention consists in the peculiarconstruction of the device for tightening the jaws upon the spoke,whereby the device may be held in position and tightened to thenecessary degree without damaging or marring the spoke in any way, and,further, whereby it is attached and detached more readily and powerismore evenly and easily applied in securing it than in previousconstructions, all as more fully hereinafter described.

In the drawings which accompany this specification, Figure 1 is a sideelevation of myimproved device attached to a spoke. Fig. 2 is anelevation of the jaw at right angles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspectiveView of the tightening-clip detached. Fig. 4 is a plan of the same. Fig.5 is a plan of the leather washer.

A is the felly, B the tire, and C the spoke, of a wheel to which mydevice is attached.

D D are a pair of jaws, provided on their sides with suitable grooves E,in which are secured the bolts F, having the caps G at the lower end andthe concave heads H at the top.

I is a nut secured at the top of the jaw, through which the bolt passes,and adapted to be turned, thereby raising or lowering the bolt F, as maybe desired.

K are channels, preferably of rectangular shape, formed in the sides ofthe jaws and adapted to receive the arms L of the clip M.

N are bolt-holes through the ends of arms L, in which a suitable bolt orpin 0 is adapted to fit.

P is a set-screw passing through the head of the clip and having asuitably-squared end or handle, whereby it may be readily turned.

The parts being thus constructed and arranged, they are intended tooperate as follows: The jaws being secured upon the spoke, the head Hengaging with the inner side of the felly, the arms L of the clip arepassed through the channels K of the jaws, and the pin 0 secured inposition, as shown in Fig.

1, thereby holding the jaws in position upon the spoke. Now, in order toget the necessary clamping effect, the set-screw P is turned so as tobear with its inner end against the shoulder Q of the jaw, which clampsthe two jaws tightly upon the spoke, and, as is well known, thenecessary degree of tightness can be had to a nicety by means of thescrew-power, and the clamping effect is conveyed the whole length of thejaws, so that no one point is indented into the spoke more than theother. Any lateral motion of the jaws in relation to the clip isprevented by means of the sides of the channels K. The nuts I, being nowturned, will press outward the head 11 against the felly, therebyforcing the felly outward, and thereby allowing of the insertion of aniron, rubber, or leather washer on the shoulder U of the spoke. Ipreferably use split washers, as shown in Fig. 5, having the cut-awayportion T, as this allows of more readily engaging the washer in itsposition.

In the present state of the art, where spokes are built of nearly thesame diameter from end to end, it is necessary to get a very tight gripupon the polished surface of the spoke, so that it is not possible forthe machine when the jaws are in position to slip even the smallestfraction of an inch, as it would thereby damage the appearance of thewheel.

In order to detach my device from the wheel, I simply have to loosen theset-screw, withdraw the pin, and the jaws will then be released fromtheir position.

In practice it requires but a single turn of the set-screw to loosen itfrom its position and allow of the withdrawal of the pin 0.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. In a tire-tightener, thecombination, with a'pair of jaws having transverse grooves in theirsides registering with each other, of a clip formed with two parallelarms united by an enlarged integral portion and formed with lateralopenings in their outer ends, a pin fitting in said openings, and aset-screw in the in their outer ends, a pin in said openings,

connect ingportion,substantiallyasdescribed. and a set-screw in thecross-piece, substan- [o 2. In a tire-tightener, the combination, Withtially as described.

two jaws havinglongitudinally-movable bolts 5 in their outer ends andrectangular grooves formed in their sides, of a clip constructedWitnesses:

with two rectangular arms united by an in- JAMES HENRY WHITTAKER,

tegral cross-piece and having lateral openings JOHN PENNIN GTON.

ANDRENV KNOX.

